1. Technical Field
The present application generally relates to composite enclosures and, more particularly, to composite enclosures for mobile devices.
2. Background
A typical mobile phone enclosure consists of a back panel, four side walls, and a glass front panel. Generally, the enclosure may be made of molded plastic, metal or other materials. Composite materials provide a low weight to strength ratio and may be transparent to radio waves and, as such, may provide advantages over other materials. This is especially true when the back wall and side walls are formed as a single assembly to provide the structure with adequate strength and rigidity.
However, it is difficult for composite materials to conform to tight bends that typically provide the contours of enclosures. In particular, a transition from a back wall to a side wall that is approximately normal to the back wall may be particularly difficult. As a rule, the tighter the radius of the transition from the back wall to the sidewalls, the more difficult it is for the composite material to meet the specification without presenting issues. In some designs, no radius is allowed (e.g. the transition occurs at a single point and is 90 degrees). Additionally, overlapping layers that form corners of the sidewalls are difficult to form with an aesthetically pleasing and consistent finish.